The Calusa Herpetological Society
Of Southwest Florida |
Thursday, May 1, 2014 - 7:00 pm
SPEAKER & TOPIC: Tonight's speaker is George L. Heinrich of Heinrich Services and the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust. George is a field biologist and environmental educator specializing in Florida reptiles. The title of his presentation is "Conserving a Remnant Population of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus): Land Management Challenges at an Urban Nature Preserve in Central Florida". His company, Heinrich Ecological Services, is based in St. Petersburg and conducts wildlife surveys and research, natural history programming, and nature-based tours. A graduate of Memphis State University, his interests include southeastern upland and brackish wetland ecosystems, conservation challenges facing Florida's non-marine turtles, and the role of education in conserving herpetofauna. He has worked for a number of years on the conservation of gopher tortoises and has studied the ecology and conservation needs of diamondback terrapins as part of a University of North Florida research team since 1995. Recent collaborative projects have focused on two emydids, the diamondback terrapin (research on mortality in crab pots and a distributional study in the Big Bend region of Florida) and the Suwannee cooter (impacts of take for human consumption and boat strikes). George has served twice as co-chair of the Gopher Tortoise Council and is the founding executive director of the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust. He has received a number of awards from state and regional NGO's for his conservation work, the most recent being the Golden LEEF Award for Outstanding Contribution to Florida Environmental Education from the League of Environmental Educators in Florida.
See
you there!
Don't forget to come out to Stevie Tomatoes on Daniels Blvd and I-75 after the meeting, for food and plenty of informal herp talk.
WHO'S INVITED ? You are! Anyone with an interest in any aspect of herpetology or herpetoculture is welcome to attend, learn, and exchange their experiences with our friendly membership. Come out to meet others who keep, breed or study reptiles and amphibians, and let them share their fascination with you. We average 20 – 35 people attending every meeting.
Cookies and cold soda, a nightly raffle of live herps, herp products, and books follow each speaker's talk, and lots of herp camaraderie, gossip, and fun can be counted upon at all meetings !
For more info , call (239) 728-2390 or (239) 481-3525 or EMAIL: info@calusaherp.org